This invention relates to improvements in a welt or beading cord having a cellulose filler body with a braided jacket and particularly to such a cord which is fire retardant. Welt or beading cords with braided jackets over an all-cellulose filler material are generally known to be old, as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,821,582, 2,248,123, 2,250,776, 2,722,861, and 2,741,149. However, with the advent of government regulations relating to safety standards for more fire-safe furniture, the upholstery furniture industry has voluntarily adopted an action program for making better flamability-resistant upholstered furniture, including every component of the furniture. Therefore, a need has been expressed for a smolder-resistant, flame-retardant welt or beading.
This need has been partially satisfied by a construction in which an aluminum foil is incorporated within the welt cord, such foil extends the entire length of the cord so as to provide a heat sink or heat dissipating material that will carry the heat away when a cigarette or other heated object is placed on the cord.
Although such a welt cord with an aluminum foil strip accomplishes the heat-retardant function, it has inherent disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is that the aluminum foil will cause the cord to be deformable. In other words, when the cord is bent, the aluminum foil is distorted, causing the cord to retain that bend because of the lack of flexibility or memory of the cord resulting from the distortion of the aluminum foil.
In fact, where the bend is made, the entire cylindrical shape of the cord is distorted. This is a very undesirable characteristic of this prior art cord because it is extremely important that the cord maintain its shape on the edge of the cushion or other object on which it is located. Thus, the prior art welting cord generally acceptable under the regulations established by the upholstered furniture industry is not entirely satisfactory.